2 months ago
19
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
With airspace closed and missiles flying, visiting Kyiv typically means 10 hours on bumpy tracks — even for presidents, prime ministers and business magnates. It’s plenty of time to reflect.
By Constant Méheut and Jenny Gross
Constant Méheut reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Jenny Gross reported from the V.I.P. train to Ukraine.
Dec. 6, 2024, 12:01 a.m. ET
In the nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union’s top official, has grown accustomed to the 10-hour overnight train ride to Kyiv. She passes the time preparing for meetings and reading books about Ukraine, when she is not trying to catch some sleep.
Ms. von der Leyen has visited Ukraine eight times since early 2022. So when she sees images of other foreign leaders in Kyiv, such as Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, she can understand their exhaustion all too well.
“When I see the tired eyes, I know he had a bad night of sleep with the tuk-a-tuk-a-tuk-a-tuk on the tracks,” Ms. von der Leyen said of Mr. Blinken during a trip to Kyiv in September.
With civilian flights to Ukraine suspended for security reasons, trains have become the primary mode of travel in the war-torn nation. Over the past two and a half years, millions of Ukrainians have relied on the country’s vast rail network to get in and out, often enduring long journeys in sleeper cabins.
World leaders visiting Ukraine have had a similar experience — albeit with added comfort. Since the early months of the war, Ukrzaliznytsia, the Ukrainian national railway, has deployed V.I.P. cars to shuttle dignitaries in and out of the country. They are equipped with private sleeping quarters, a conference room and a kitchen where attendants prepare meals.
Image
